Wild Weekend (12 page)

“No...” He didn’t hint at any of his sex fantasies. She felt there was an uneven exchange: she had revealed more than she’d planned, and he hadn’t shared much about himself. “I didn’t ask.”

“Why not?” Jill asked. “That’s not like you at all. You are always asking people about their goals and dreams. Why not ask about your lover’s sex fantasies?”

“I don’t want to find out that I can’t fulfill his deepest wish,” Christine said quietly. “What if my bucket list doesn’t look like his? What if it turns out I’m not enough for him?”

Jill pursed her lips as she considered Christine’s fears. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He’s here because of you.”

His pursuit had surprised her and she guessed it showed the depths of his feelings. “He’s not here to stay.”

“Perfect!” Jill exclaimed. “You’re not looking for a relationship.”

“That’s true...” This was supposed to be temporary. She needed to remember that.

“And you’ve said yourself that you let opportunities slip by. Now is the time to grab the chance to be with him before he goes.”

“You’re right. You’re right.” She lifted her hands as she thought about what her friend said. “I know you’re right.”

“Where is he now?”

“Asleep.” Christine tried to hide her naughty smile. “In my bed.”

Jill’s eyes widened. “Is that so? You’re not worried what the town will think?”

She shrugged. “I dated Darrell for years and no one was scandalized.”

“That’s because Darrell isn’t a sexy stranger you hooked up with in Vegas,” her friend pointed out. “People are going to think you’re on a wild ride and you’re heading for a fall. They just hope you’re not going to do it with their money.”

“I’ve never given them any concern in the past.” Christine glanced at her watch and started to walk to the exit. “And Cedar Valley will realize that no man—not even someone as hot as Travis Cain—will turn my life upside down. I have everything under control.”

Jill shook her head. “Famous last words.”

12

T
RAVIS
PARKED
HIS
motorcycle in the Cedar Valley Bank’s parking lot later that afternoon. He sighed as he reached for his cell phone. He did not want to make this call, but he’d put it off for the past few hours.

Aaron answered on the first ring. “Tell me you have the emerald.”

Travis wished he could. He sat on his motorcycle and looked at the bank in front of him. “We have a problem.”

His friend let out a long, agonizing groan. “What happened?”

Travis rubbed his hand over his face. “I don’t think Christine has the emerald.”

Aaron gasped. “We’re too late? Did she hand it over to Hoffmann? Or has she sold it?”

“No, I don’t think she had anything to do with it,” Travis explained. How could he believe she was a thief? She was quiet, gentle and a terrible liar. She was so determined to focus on the rules that she wouldn’t break a promise or the law.

“Why would you think that?” Aaron asked.

“I thought she was the only person who could have stolen the gem.” He still remembered the hurt and pain he’d felt when he believed Christine had played him for a fool. Maybe he had been too quick to accuse her. “But obviously I was wrong.”

Aaron didn’t say anything for a moment. Travis imagined his friend tearing out his long blond hair. “You said you had the emerald when you went to her hotel room.”

“I thought I did.” He’d been so distracted with Christine’s sweet seduction. He had lowered his guard, knowing he was safe with her. “I’m almost 100 percent positive I had the emerald.”

“Did anyone go into that room while you were there?” Aaron asked. He had asked the same question when Travis first told him about the missing lucky charm. “Room service? Housekeeping?”

“No.” He had fallen asleep, but there had been no signs of any hotel employee entering Christine’s room.

“She could have slipped it to Hoffmann’s security guys while you weren’t looking.”

“Not possible.”

“Dude, I asked you to look after the emerald because you are the only person I trust in the world other than my wife. You are street smart, you are daring and I’ve trusted you with my life so many times.”

“I’m going to make this right.”

“And you still think this woman is innocent?”

“Yes,” Travis replied. He couldn’t explain to Aaron that he trusted his gut instinct on this. Aaron, the most understanding guy he knew, simply wouldn’t understand.

There was a tense moment of silence. “You slept with her again, didn’t you?” Aaron said accusingly.

“What?”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. What kind of pull does this woman have? It’s bad enough that you fell for her innocent routine the first time. I thought you went there to confront her. Instead you went there to have sex with her. Again.”

Travis had to admit that his actions looked bad.

“You were so sure she was the one who had the emerald,” Aaron said. “And the minute you see her, you suddenly think there is no possible way she could have played you.”

“That’s not it at all. I looked through her house.” He hated every minute of invading her privacy, but he had been thorough. When he didn’t find the gem with her valuables upstairs, he systematically went through every room in Christine’s house after she’d left for work. “There is no emerald. No jewelry at all. No valuables, no money and no indication that she knew who to sell it to.”

“Keep looking,” Aaron urged. “I know she has it. She must have it hidden somewhere else. Try her workplace. Try her purse. Hell, try
her
pocket.
”

“My gut tells me she never had it.” If she had taken it from him, Christine would never have allowed him to get close to her, to stay in her house alone and to sleep next to her.

“Then who does?” Aaron’s voice rose, and Travis pulled the phone away from his ear. “We have lost three days looking for my lucky charm. It could be anywhere.”

“My guess is Pitts and Underwood,” Travis said as he got off his motorcycle and walked to the bank. “They were determined. They could have pickpocketed me after Christine won her jackpot.”

“You would have noticed.”

Travis thought he would. He had learned how to avoid getting pickpocketed during his travels. He knew how to steer clear of certain situations. But all his experience meant nothing when his full attention had been on Christine. “I’m coming back to Vegas and we can figure out our next move.”

“You sound disappointed,” Aaron said. “I thought you’d be thrilled to get out of Cedar Valley.”

He didn’t want to leave. It shocked him, scared him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he wanted to stay. How could he leave Christine after this morning? Her trust in him had been a rare gift. What was she going to think if he left now? It was the worst timing.

“I don’t know what you hope to accomplish in Vegas,” Aaron asked. “All my poker buddies have left Nevada. Hoffmann and his crew are gone. The trail grew cold while you were chasing Christine. And it’s too late to go to hotel security or the police.”

Travis gripped his cell phone more tightly. “I’m not giving up,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’m going to find the emerald.”

“I thought having you carry the emerald in your pocket was a stroke of genius,” Aaron said. “I saw this emerald broker from Colombia do it. He had been dressed casually and had no security following him. Everyone was focused on the guy in the expensive suit and his bodyguard. No one knew the other guy had the gem.”

Travis had heard that story several times in the past few days. He closed his eyes as he gathered the last of his patience. “I don’t know what went wrong.”

“When are you coming back?” Aaron asked. “I can’t stay in Vegas for much longer or Dana will start asking questions.”

Travis halted at the bank’s entrance. “She doesn’t know the emerald is missing?” That surprised him. He thought Aaron told his wife everything.

“I don’t want her to worry,” Aaron said defensively. “That emerald isn’t just my lucky charm. It is the most expensive thing I own and I was going to use it for...” Aaron’s voice trailed off. “If that’s gone, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Travis didn’t think he could feel worse about letting his friend down. “I’m going to leave Cedar Valley in an hour,” he told Aaron.

“Fine. I still think Christine took the emerald. She’s the only one who got close enough to it,” Aaron said. “She was the only one who had the chance to swipe it while you were sleeping.”

“Christine doesn’t have it,” Travis insisted. She didn’t have any of the telltale signs that a person demonstrated when they were hiding something. “I have to go and tell her I’m leaving.”

“She doesn’t deserve the courtesy,” Aaron said. “But keep me posted.”

His friend ended the call abruptly. Travis stared at his cell phone before putting it into his pocket. He should have known babysitting a jewel was too easy. The guilt he felt was overwhelming. Aaron had trusted him and now he would never forgive him.

Travis stepped into the bank and scanned the area. There were no customers. He waved at Laurie at the teller window and looked for Christine. He saw her sitting in her office talking on the phone.

He paused as he watched Christine. She looked happy and relaxed. Beautiful and radiant. She was smiling as she listened to the caller. It was a different smile than the one she gave him. When she looked at him, he felt special. He felt connected to Christine. After a lifetime of being alone, he wasn’t ready to walk away from her.

“Travis?” Harold, the portly security guard, interrupted his thoughts. Travis turned and saw Harold beckon him with the curl of his finger. “I want a word with you.”

Travis shoved his hands into his leather jacket and strolled toward the older man. “Why do I have the feeling that I’m in trouble?” he asked with a smile.

Harold did not return the smile. His eyes narrowed as he gave Travis a hard stare. “You may not be used to living in a small town, but you need to be careful.”

Travis went still. “What are you saying?” Did Harold overhear his phone conversation? Did he know there had been another reason for following Christine to Cedar Valley?

Harold looked around and lowered his voice. “You were at Christine’s house last night. And this morning.”

Busted.
He knew he had pushed his luck. He should have returned to the bed-and-breakfast before dawn, but he found a sleepy and satisfied Christine irresistible. He had to curl Christine against him. He hadn’t meant to fall back to sleep.

He was going to have to bluff his way through this. He didn’t understand small-town etiquette but he was pretty sure he’d just made life a little complicated for Christine. “And?” Travis asked.

Harold held Travis’s gaze. “Your bed was untouched at the bed-and-breakfast.”

“How do you know that?” Travis looked around. The citizens of Cedar Valley were better at spying than he gave them credit for.

“Listen, we’re happy that Christine has found someone,” Harold said. “But information is power in Cedar Valley. Someone could give this relationship a slant and Christine would have a fight on her hands.”

“Why would anyone care?” Travis’s voice rose and he immediately snapped his mouth closed. He took a deep breath. “We are talking about two single adults in the privacy of someone’s home.” Well, there was that moment on the porch.

“City guys. They just don’t get it.” Harold shook his head and leaned forward. “When a young woman sows some wild oats, the ex-boyfriends stir up trouble.”

“Darrell.” The guy looked weak but he was the kind of man who would hold a grudge. “What is he saying?”

“That she had a hidden wild streak that’s out of control,” Harold said. “And when a bank manager taps into her wild side, people get nervous and they check their bank statements a little more closely.”

“I got it, Harold. Thanks for explaining it.” It was for the best that he was leaving now so he could protect the reputation she’d worked so hard to build. “I’ll make sure Christine doesn’t get in trouble because of something I did.”

* * *

C
HRISTINE
HUNG
UP
the phone and automatically glanced at the door of the bank. Excitement fizzed inside her when she saw Travis chatting with Harold. When she rose from her seat, she felt almost dizzy with joy.

Oh, no. Christine pressed her lips together but the smile broke free. She was falling hard for Travis Cain.

She had to hit the brakes on these feelings. She wasn’t looking for a relationship. She wasn’t going to get distracted by a guy when she needed to focus on her goals.

Christine saw Faye Lamb and her daughter, Bonnie, enter the bank and walk past Travis. She frowned and looked at the calendar on her desk. It wasn’t Monday. Christine walked out of her office and flashed a big smile at Travis before she approached the two women.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Lamb,” Christine greeted her most valuable client as she gingerly shook the older woman’s hand. “Hello, Bonnie. I didn’t expect to see you today.”

Bonnie gave her a weary smile. “My mother can’t make up her mind on which piece of jewelry she wants my brother to have.”

“I’ve decided that I should divide it evenly between the children,” Faye announced.

Christine gave a quick look at Bonnie, who shrugged. It was as if she was tired of the fight. Christine didn’t know why Faye was making these decisions, but she knew it wasn’t her place to say so. “Let me get Laurie to help you with the safe-deposit box.”

As she patiently went through the same routine, Christine had a strong sense of déjà vu. Faye wore a black dress and discussed the story behind the pink cameo brooch. Bonnie, dressed in a T-shirt, yoga pants and a baseball cap, looked through her bag for the safe-deposit key. Christine wondered how many times they went through this ritual and how many times they would go through it again.

She felt a sense of relief as Faye and Bonnie went to the safe-deposit boxes with Laurie. Christine hurriedly returned to her office and found Travis waiting for her. She wanted to touch him. Greet him with a kiss. Instead, she kept her hands firmly at her sides and stood next to him.

“Travis? What are you doing here?” she asked. She tried to play it cool, but she knew she couldn’t hide her emotions. When Travis was around, the air was electric. The colors were brighter and she felt the anticipation beat in her chest.

Travis looked away. “I... Is there somewhere more private where we can talk?”

Her smile froze. There was something in the tone of his voice that warned her she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “Is something wrong?”

Travis swallowed roughly. “I have to leave town.”

“Oh.” The news felt like a slap. He was leaving? After what happened this morning? What they shared had meant something to her. It wasn’t to experiment or try something different. She’d explored her most secret fantasy with Travis. But it was just a bit of fun for him. “I understand.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” He reached for her hand, but she yanked it away. She couldn’t let him touch her. Not when it meant so much to her and so little to him. “A friend of mine needs my help,” Travis explained. “He had this emerald and someone stole it.”

Christine rolled her eyes. A likely story. “You could do better than that. Just tell me the truth. You’re ready to move on.”

“Christine, I’m not making this up,” he insisted as he watched her closely.

“Okay, fine.” She didn’t believe a word he said. She’d heard it before.
We’ll keep in touch. It’s only temporary. It’s not you, it’s me.
“Are you planning to come back?”

“I don’t know how long this is going to take.”

She noticed he’d sidestepped the question. He wasn’t coming back. She had given herself to this man and he was ready to go. She only had herself to blame. She knew this had been a fling. Her feelings, however, were stronger and more intense than any she’d felt in her other long-term relationships. “When are you leaving?” she asked, hating how her voice cracked.

“In an hour,” he said apologetically.

She pressed her lips together. She didn’t get another night with him. Christine knew she shouldn’t be greedy. She got more than she had ever hoped. She should be grateful but she wasn’t. She felt as if something special had been ripped from her hands. “I’m sorry you have to go.”